[wease]

Just curious about a couple of things. I have a retaining wall in my back yard. When you look at it there is no mortar in the joints. It looks like it was stacked, rebarred and concreted from the inside. It holds up a pretty good sized wall but just curious if this is an accepted method of making a wall like this. It looks like it hasn't budged in the 5 years I've been there but a neighbor is afraid and complaining about it.

Thanks to anyone with experience in this.

 

[Bondo]

It looks like it hasn't budged in the 5 years I've been there but a neighbor is afraid and complaining about it.

Ayuh,.... Lotsa ways to skin a cat, or to build a wall with cement blocks,....

If yer wall ain't movin, or bowin', or leakin', but just sittin' there doin' nothin,....
I wouldn't worry 'bout exactly how it was built, as it seems to be workin',....

Length don't matter so much, but how tall is it,..??
Is water diverted away from it, above it,..??
Does it have drainage behind it,..??
Why's the neighbor afraid,..?? on what grounds is their whinin',..??

 

[wease]

It's actually mostly buried. It's the first part of a tiered system. It looks like it hasn't leaned at all. But the walls below it are disintegrating. I am replacing those. I don't want to have to replace this one.

Looks like I need to get a geotechnical engineer out here.

 

[concretemasonry]

wease -

Where in the world are you hiding? Location means a lot, especially when you are dealing with durability.

Are you sure it was "rebarred"? - It could be a segmental retaining wall that does not use mortar, is dry stacked with no concrete/grout and NEVER a concrete footing.

Photos help to get an accurate response or suggestions.

Dick

 

[wease]

I'm in northern california. The wall goes down deep into the ground on both sides. There is a nub end of rebar at the top of each hole in the cinder block. All poured with concrete. I'll try to get some pics. I think this wall was put in the major retaining wall for the hill with step walls below it that are failing. This one appears rock solid and hasn't budged/leaned.